


An Inspiration

by Malakia



Series: Naruto Rarepair Week 2020 [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Post-Chuunin Exams, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24003103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malakia/pseuds/Malakia
Summary: Hinata didn't realize the impact she left on some of her fellow shinobi during the Chuunin Exams.Day 2 of Naruto Rarepair Week: "Live every act fully, as if it were your last"- Siddhartha Gautama.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata & Rock Lee, Hyuuga Hinata/Rock Lee
Series: Naruto Rarepair Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1729849
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	An Inspiration

Hinata delivered an open palm strike against the wood of the training poll. The sting of the punch didn’t hurt so much anymore since her repetitive movements had made her skin and muscles numb. She pushed through the hurt; the new pains would add to the calluses that were already there.

She was completely zoned out on her surroundings. She was only aware of the passing of time when she took small breaks. On her last one, she had noticed the sun had traveled from its mid-morning position to now be halfway through the afternoon. 

No one had come and disturbed her training, which she had hoped and expected. She had chosen the most obscure training grounds, after all. Added Konoha was also in the stages of rebuilding after the Chuunin Exam attack, and she would not be missed for a day.

Pain twitched in her heart as she delivered a more forceful strike.

The fact of this still didn’t help the hurt in the knowledge that not even her family was worried, however. When she helped the village, she had observed mothers and fathers keeping their children close; siblings and friends stuck together in packs; the elderly were practically on every corner of the street with watchful eyes. 

She tried to tell herself her family didn’t worry because they were giving her independence. That her friends (the little she had) were all busy with helping the rebuilding. People were just too busy to be concerned about her right now. Yet even in her mind, that sounded farfetched.

“Oh! Hyuuga-sama!”

Caught off guard, Hinata screamed and dove behind the training pole. There was a beat of silence where nothing happened, so tentatively she peeked from behind her hiding spot.

Rock Lee, leg in a cast and using a crutch, stared with wide eyes, mouth slightly open, and arm half-raised in greeting. When he saw that she was looking, he animatedly began to bow over and over again. “Forgive me, Hyuuga-sama!” he spoke frantically. “I didn’t mean to scare you! What should I do to make up for it? A 100 laps around the village? Carry you for the rest of the day?”

“L-Lee-san...” Hinata greeted still behind the poll. She couldn’t even find her voice to respond to the rest of what he had said.

Rock Lee stopped. He then slowly smiled proudly. “Forgive me interrupting again! But it is always good to see a fellow shinobi training! A very youthful display of character!”

Hinata’s face grew hot, but couldn’t decide if what he said was mocking or a true compliment. She decided it was the latter from the little she knew Neji’s teammate. “Th-thank you...”

The two of them just stared at one another. After a beat, Rock Lee bowed again. “I am sorry for disturbing you,” he apologized once again. When he stood up straight, he pointed over his shoulder. “I can leave if you wish!”

Hinata shook her head. “No-no. I-I just... c- can you ha-hand me my j-jacket?”

“Oh!” Rock Lee looked around until he spotted the small sitting area she had made under the shade of the trees. He quickly limped over and grabbed the lavender coat. 

When he came back, he stood at a respectable distance and held out the garment. 

Hinata slowly reached out and gently grabbed it before she hastily brought it to her. “Th-thank you, Lee-san..,” she mumbled without meeting his gaze while she began to put it on. 

Rock Lee politely stepped back. “Would you like for me to turn around?” he asked.

Hinata bowed her head to hide her burning face and shook her head. Realizing he might not see that, she mumbled out, “It-it’s fine...”

She fumbled in zipping up her jacket. Yet once secured she slowly came out from behind her hiding spot.

Rock Lee smiled at her brightly and made a ‘thumbs up’ motion. “Did you work so hard you actually had to take off your jacket?” he congratulated. “A tremendous youthful display! Many from Konoha can learn from you!

Hinata closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. The only reason she was even training was because she had heard Naruto had gone to find their village’s new Hokage with a  _ Sannin.  _ She couldn’t stop herself as everyone around her seemed to be progressing forward and she was struggling with her shinobi abilities.

When she stopped her head movement, she began to play with her fingers and refused to look up. She wanted to deny such a statement but the words were stuck in her throat.

“You truly are an inspiration!” Rock Lee insisted. “Training so hard!” 

Hinata raised her head to look through her lashes. Neji’s teammate had comical tears in his eyes and the Huuyga heiress swore she could see a little light shining behind him.

Feeling a little out of place in all of this, she quietly asked, “We-were you walking around?” It was an honest question since this place was so far isolated. One could be walking around and stumble upon this place.

That seemed to pull Rock Lee out of whatever he was thinking as he shook his head. “No.” He straightened proudly. “I also came here to train!”

Hinata raised her head in alarm. “H-have you been o-okayed to?!” She immediately slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing how rude that sounded.

Before Rock Lee could say anything, she bowed deeply. “I-I’m sorry!” She closed her eyes tightly. “Th-that’s none of my business!” 

There was another beat of silence before Rock Lee joyously laughed. “But very kind!”

Hinata raised her head to see him smiling. 

“Caring for others is such a youthful act!” He once again started crying comically. “You truly are an inspiration, Hyuuga-sama!” 

Again, Hinata found herself tongue-tied and face so hot she was sure she was going to combust. She bowed her head to play with her fingers. “Ah, um... Yes?” She winced because there wasn’t even a question. “I-I mean...” She bit her bottom lip to stop from rambling. She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore.

Luckily, Rock Lee couldn’t sense her discomfort or chose to ignore it. Instead, he switched the topic. “To answer your question: no, I haven’t been put off medical leave.”

She looked up at him again, surprised.

“But!” Rock Lee did a pose reminiscent of what Might Gai-sensei would have done. “A broken leg will not stop me from training!”

Hinata pressed her lips together. 

While that was certainly admirable, she had heard from Tenten (who for some reason was hunting her down instead of Neji when she came to the Hyuuga compound) that Rock Lee’s arm had just fully healed. It should have sooner but Rock Lee kept training despite being told to rest. And his leg was still recovering- almost healed but not enough to start hard training.

“I-is that safe?” she quietly mumbled.

“Fear not!” Rock Lee saluted. “I will only be working on my arms by training while doing handstands!”

Hinata tried not to look dubious with a small smile. She didn’t think that it fooled the boy however as he stood up impossibly straighter. “I will prove it!” He began to limp over the shaded resting spot. “Let us have a spar, Hyuuga-sama. It will show you I am ready to train! And if I lose than I shall do 100 handstand push-ups and stay on my hands the entire day!”

“L-Lee-san!” Hinata called as she jogged after him. He stopped and turned to look at her.

She pulled on every bit of her strength and explained, “I-I am just w-worried with your i-injuries...”

“And that is why I must show you!” he replied earnestly. “To alleviate those fears!” 

“T-that is very k-kind,” she assured. “B-but your i-injuries were very se-severe.” 

Although she hadn’t been there with her injuries, it was one of the things that were on the villager’s lips when the results were officially released. Rock Lee and Gaara’s fight was practically legendary now. (She tried not to think about the elder’s harsh words when they discovered that one of the Hyuuga heiresses had lost to a ‘branch member.’)

Rock Lee quieted a moment. Then he proudly pronounced, “Training is very essential! This would be a good way to show you what I can do despite my injuries!” He nodded. “And besides, I have wanted the honor of sparring with you!”

A mousy squeak escaped Hinata’s mouth as her face grew hot. “W-What?”

“I would love to spar with you!” Rock Lee repeated enthusiastically. “I would love to spar against someone with so much youth as you do!”

“Y-youth?” Hinata mumbled. “M-me?”

“Yes! You are clearly a hard worker!” He did a ‘thumbs up’ with a wink. “Your determination and will to keep on fighting is an inspiration!”

Hinata felt light-headed at the praise. She was nothing like what Rock Lee was saying.

“And during the Chuunin Exams!” The boy began to cry again. This time Hinata was  _ sure  _ there was a light behind him. “How you continued to get up time after time!  _ Truly an inspiration!” _

Hinata adamantly shook her head again. “N-no! Th-that was...” She struggled helplessly to find the right words.

She bowed her head. Her will to get back up during with Neji was motivated by Naruto. Had he not spoken up when he did, she was sure she would have withdrawn from the fight. Neji’s words had pierced her deeply. It compounded already with her frail confidence and her already unwillingness to fight her cousin.

“It’s true though!”

Hinata raised her head slightly.

Rock Lee wore a bright smile. “I think you acting that way also changed a little with how Neji-san observed people.”

“N-Naruto-kun..,” she mumbled out. She hadn’t been there for that fight either because she was still healing. She had heard all about it though: the upstart of the underdog beating the Hyuuga genius. Naruto was the one that finally broke through her cousin’s wall. 

Rock Lee calmed down, his smile dying down. “...Uzumaki-san did have a huge effect on Neji-san,” he agreed. “Bit it was  _ you  _ that set the groundwork for that change.

“You fought with everything you had!” Rock Lee praised. “So willing to continue on!  _ You  _ were the first step to show how hard work can overcome being a genius!

“Whatever your motivation is, never sell yourself short!. What you did was an entirely inspiring display of youth!”

Hinata felt the familiar sting of tears as her eyes got wet. She hid her burning face in her hands. 

She wanted to deny all the praise; that she had nothing to do with Neji’s change. She only did everything to the fullest because she finally had the attention of the person she had admired the most.

She felt a hand on her should and looked up. Rock Lee was clearly worried but his face turned surprised. “I’m sorry!” He let her go and bowed again. “I didn’t mean to upset you! Only to show my appreciation of your youth!” 

He straightened. “And even now you are training so hard!” he complimented seriously. “As a fellow shinobi, this is a prime example of what we should be doing every day! Living it to the fullest by continuing to train and grow!”

Tears escaped down the sides of Hinata’s face. Yet despite that, she found herself smiling a little and her chest felt light as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

“T-thank you..,” she quietly mumbled as she wiped away the tears that continued to fall. “B-but y-you are the real in-inspiration...”

Rock Lee’s gin was bright and warm. Not like Naruto’s but it did have its own charm.

“Then let us both be inspirations!” he announced proudly. “Let us train together and continue to do our best each day!”

Hinata shook her head. “I-I don’t th-think I am an-anywhere near your le-level Lee-san.”

“Then I will train you!” He raised a fist and winked. “And show you the Power of Youth!”

Her tears stopping, the Hyuuga bowed her head to hide her smile, even as she felt the blood drain from her face. Tenten  _ also  _ told her of the crazy training Rock Lee did.

“P-perhaps I c-can watch?” she offered. 

Rock Lee frowned, so she quickly added, “Th-that way if-if an adult finds us, w-we can say I-I am making sure y-you aren’t st-straining yourself.”

Rock Lee gasped while his eyes lit up in understanding. “Brilliant idea, Hyuuga-sama!” He handed her his crutch. “Then when I have to take a break you can train. And if someone comes we can say I am just helping you!” 

Hinata watched in shock when he then performed a handstand. He then ‘walked’ around her to a training pole. Hinata almost couldn’t believe what she was watching. She hadn’t quite believed Tenten but now she understood that the older girl wasn’t joking.

She moved to sit under the shade and watched her new companion. She smiled to herself and felt her body grow pleasantly warm.  _ She  _ was an  _ inspiration  _ to another person. And such an accomplished person wanted to spar with  _ her  _ when she was very sure Neji would be more of a challenge. What a novelty. Is this how Naruto feels when he inspires others?

As Rock Lee began to start doing Taijutsu moves that Hinata didn’t think possible while doing handstands, she silently thanked the older boy for his kind words. She hadn’t even realized how desperately she needed to hear them, the validation she wanted. 

On top of that, she silently vowed to always support Rock Lee no matter what he wanted to achieve. He was also a person that could achieve whatever he set his mind and heart into something.

For him, Hinata hoped he was appreciated for all of his hard work soon, just like Naruto. It was certainly an honor and a beautiful thing to watch grow. To watch it grow and grow, each and every day, until it was finally recognized. And when that happened, she would watch silently proud when he found his place in the world.


End file.
